Apparatus for utilizing low-grade fuels.



H. H. BLAKE.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING LOW-GRADE FUELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1911.

LIQIAQSQ Patented July 21, 191 1.

WTTED $TATES PATENT UFFTQEQ HENRY H. BLAKE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BLAK OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION AND PULVERIZEE COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CRUSHER APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING LOW-GRADE FUELS.

menace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 191%.

Application filed August 3, 1911. Serial No: 642,052.

To all cola-0m 1' t may concern Be it known that l, HENRY H. BLAKE, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in the Apparatus for Utilizing Low-Grade Fuels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a new and improved apparatus or furnace for low grade fuels, such as lignites, etc.

My apparatus consists, generally, of a furnace into which lead means for introducing the higher grade fuel in such a manner that a flame or flames of ignited fuel are formed which are reverberated in the furnace and pass out through the exit port thereof, and coacting means for introducing into said flame or flames a supply of fuel of the lower grade in a granulated or reduced state.

I prefer to locate my furnace in front of the ordinary furnace or combustion chamber, such as the furnace of a steam boiler or the interior of a reheating furnace, communicating therewith by means of a port in the rear wall of my furnace. My furnace may be of stationary or portable construction, as desired.

' In the accompanying drawings, which are merely intended to illustrate my apparatus, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my furnace along the line I-I in Fig. 2, while Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

The following is a description of the drawings:

1 is a furnace whose walls may be built of fire-brick or any suitable refractory material. In its rear wall is provided a broad port 2 through which the products of combustion pass to their destination, such as the combustion chamber of an ordinary steam boiler furnace, not shown.

The front wall of my furnace 1 is provided. with a door 3 near its bottom for the removal of the surplus ash as it accumulates.

1-1 represent a pair of distributors or hollow bodies, preferably made of sheet metal and of inverted fan shape. The lower or mouth ends of distributers fr-4'. communicate with the interior of furnace 1 by means of longitudinal slots 5-5 through the top of said furnace and at the opposite sides thereof. The upper ends of distributers -1-1 form contracted throats 6-6 which connect with supply pipes 77 leading from a source of supply of reduced or pulverized fuel, such as a rotary pulverizer, not shown.

8-8 are horizontally slotted ports in the side walls of furnace 1 somewhat below the level of port 2 and 9-9 are metal hoods attached to the outer faces of said side walls to inclose said ports 8-8 and prevent the entrance of air therethrough except downwardly through the open tops of said hoods 9 9. The air entering said ports 8-8 is therefore first heated by contact with the walls of said furnace in its passage down hoods 9-9, forming a draft of hot air entering the furnace.

Midway between the slots 5-5 in the top of the furnace is a thirdslot 10 parallel therewith through which the bottom of a hopper or distributor 11 communicates with the interior of furnace 1. The hopper 11 is connected with a source of supply of reduced or granulated low grade fuel, not shown, and may be provided with any convenient feeding means for maintaining a constant sup ply of such fuel.

Pulverized fuel of the higher grade is introduced into the furnace 1 through the distributers 14 .and initially ignited by a torch or gas jet, forming flames which reverberate against the ash bed 12 which accumulates in the bottom of the furnace 1 and is kept at proper height by occasional removals through the ash door 3. A second door 13 is preferably provided above door 3 and at about the desired level of the ash bed for leveling the same.

The furnace quickly becomes heated and maintains the combustion of the higher grade fuel entering through the distributors 4 1, the hot air entering through the ports 8--S aiding in said combustion and deflecting the flames toward each other as they impact upon and reverberate from the ash bed 12 forming a convolution of powdered fuel in a state of high combustion which finally passes out through the port 2. To regulate the amount of air entering thmugh ports 8-8 and to close said ports when required, I provide vertically moving gates or dampers 1 1 141 mounted in hoods 9-4) and controlled by levers 15-1).

The lower grade fuel in a granulated or p l w del'ed state is adi'nitted through distributor 11 and slot 10 and is precipitated down into the convolution of flames in the center of the combustion chamber and all of its combustible elements are at once ignited and pass with the burning high grade fuel through the port 2, the incombustible elements dropping to the ash bed 12.

The ash bed 12 upon which the flames of high grade fuel are reverberated forms a furnace bottom which will not be disintegrated by the great heat of the impacting flame and which is automatic in its formation and renewal by the accumulation of the incombustible elements in the fuel. Partially consumed combustible particles, precipitated upon the surface of the ash bed are maintained in a zone of great heat and thoroughly consumed, forming an incandescent top layer on said ash bed 12 which does not chill the flame as other bottom structures might do.

The air admitted through the ports 8-8 is highly heated before entering furnace, thus increasing instead of retarding combustion. The amount of air thus admitted may be controlled to a nicety, as needed.

It is thus evident that by the use of my apparatus the entire heat value of the lower grade of fuel may be inexpensively and effectively' realized, and such fuel may bethus utilized for purposes for which their separate combustion would not fit them,

By using laterally inclined flames, reverberated together, I am enabled to use a shallower furnace which may be conveniently placed in a narrow passageway in front of a bank of boilers where a deeper furnace could not be located. I am thus enabled to install my furnace in plants already built, as, for instance, in the boiler room of a ship where at best the available space is very limited.

\Vhat I claim is 1 In a furnace for the combustion of lowgrade fuel, means for admitting pulverized higher-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace wherein it forms a flame reverberating against the furnace bottom, means for admitting the low-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace, and means for introducing a current of air laterally into said flame to force the same into contact with said lowgrade fuel.

2. In a furnace for the combustion of lowgrade fuel, means for admitting pulverized highengrade f'uel downwardly into the Iurnace wherein it forms a flame reverberating against the furnace bottom, means for admitting the low-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace,-means for introducing a current of air from without the furnace laterally into said flame to force the latter into contact with said low-grade fuel, and means for heating said air previous to its admission into the combustion chamber.

3. In a furnace for the combustion of lowgrade fuel, means for admitting a plurality of flows of higher-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace wherein the same form flames revel-berating against the furnace bottom, means for admitting the low-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace between said flames, and means for introducing currents of air laterally into said flames to force the latter into contact with said low-grade fuel.

4. In a furnace for the combustion of lowgrade fuel, means for admitting a plurality of flows of higher-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace wherein the same form flames reverberating against the furnace bottom, means for admittin the low-grade fuel downwardly into the furnace between said flames, means for introducing currents of air from without the furnace laterally into said flames to forcethe latter into contact with said low-grade fuel, and means for heating said air previous to its admission into the combustion chamber.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 2nd day of August, 1911. V

HENRY H. BLAKE lVitnesses E. A. LAWRENCE, A. W. FoRsY'rrL 

